China’s largest living-donor liver transplant program is changing what’s possible for patients facing liver failure, with survival rates now rivaling leading global centers.
For patients with end-stage liver disease, a transplant is often the only path to survival. Yet donor shortages and long waiting lists remain daunting barriers worldwide. Over the past two decades, West China Hospital in Chengdu has made significant strides to address this challenge—building what is now China’s largest living-donor liver transplant program and pioneering new surgical techniques along the way.
The hospital’s transplant teams have completed more than 1,700 liver transplants, including over 600 from living donors. Survival rates are strong: one year after transplant, more than 87% of patients are thriving; five-year survival is over 80%. The center has also developed innovative methods such as dual-graft transplantation and laparoscopic donor procedures, expanding options for families and reducing recovery times for donors.
These achievements are not simply technical milestones; they represent hope for families who may otherwise exhaust all options. The success of the program has made liver transplantation more accessible and affordable, particularly in a region where few could previously consider it. As medical tourism in China evolves, programs like these are making complex care more globally available.